BEIJING, 24 August 2008 - With 24-year-old shooter Andri Eleftheriou bearing the flag for Cyprus, the Closing Ceremony at the 'Bird's Nest' National Stadium of Beijing marked the end of the XXIX Olympic Games and the start of a new countdown--to London 2012.

The Beijing Olympic Games will go down in history for Cyprus. The irrefutable statistics show these Games to have been the best ever for Cyprus in their modern-era history. Since Ioannis Phrangoudis (then competiting under the Greek flag, as did all Cypriots until 1980) won a gold, a silver and a bronze at the inaugural Games of Athens 1896, Cyprus has been seeking its next medal.

And in Beijing 2008 Cyprus came within a hair's breadth of that all-elusive medal--not once, but thrice: Three Cypriots finished within the top eight of their events and earned Olympic diplomas. At the same time, a host of young athletes provided most convincing performances and promise to come back stronger four years hence in London.

Photos for Press Use, free of rights (click on a thumbnail for higher resolution)
Andri Eleftheriou enters the Beijing Olympic Stadium bearing the flag of Cyprus	Andri Eleftheriou enters the Beijing Olympic Stadium bearing the flag of Cyprus	The Greek, Olympic and Chinese flags at the Olympic Stadium of Beijing	David Beckham at the Handover Ceremony from Beijing 2008 to London 2012
Drummers and dancers at the Beijing 2008 Closing Ceremony	The 'Memory Tower' in the centre of the 'Bird's Nest'...	...transforms into a Tree...	...as fireworks fill the sky to mark the end of Beijing 2008